1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an optical device where a light modulating device to modulate color light according to image information and a color synthesizing optical element to synthesize color light modulated by the light modulating device are integrally formed. The invention also relates to a projector employing the optical device.
2. Description of Related Art
Structures for attaching liquid crystal panels and prisms in a projector are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-221587, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-221588, and so forth. As disclosed in these publications, liquid crystal panels are stored within a panel frame and attached to a prism, thereby implementing measures to enhance the ease-of-assembly and the reliability of this part. Also, in the related art, cooling of the liquid crystal panel has been achieved by a structure that is almost completely dependent on an air path provided between the panel frame and prism.